U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
BURUNDI - Complex Emergency
Situation Report #1, Fiscal Year (FY) 2003    November 18, 2002


Note: The last situation report was dated June 20, 2002.

BACKGROUND

The Tutsi minority, which represents 14 percent of Burundi's 6.85 million
people, has dominated the country politically, militarily, and
economically since national independence in 1962.  Approximately 85
percent of Burundi's population is Hutu, and approximately 1 percent is
Twa (Batwa).  The current cycle of violence began in October 1993 when
members within the Tutsi-dominated army assassinated the first freely
elected President, Melchoir Ndadaye (Hutu), sparking Hutu-Tutsi fighting.
Ndadaye's successor, Cyprien Ntariyama (Hutu), was killed in a plane crash
on April 6, 1994 alongside Rwandan President Habyarimana.  Sylvestre
Ntibantunganya (Hutu) took power and served as President until July 1996,
when a military coup brought current President Pierre Buyoya (Tutsi) to
power.  Since the conflict began, over 200,000 people have been killed.

In August 2000, nineteen Burundi parties signed the Peace and
Reconciliation Agreement in Arusha, Tanzania, overseen by peace process
facilitator, former South African President Nelson Mandela. The Arusha
Peace Accords include provisions for an ethnically balanced army and
legislature, and for democratic elections to take place after three years
of transitional government.  The three-year transition period began on
November 1, 2001.  President Pierre Buyoya will serve as President for the
first 18 months, followed by a Hutu president for the second half of the
transition.  The two main Hutu opposition groups, the Forces for the
Defense of Democracy (FDD) and the National Liberation Front (FNL), are
not party to the Arusha Peace Accords.  Nearly one year after the
installation of the transitional government, a cease-fire agreement has
not been reached between the rebels and the Burundi government although
talks related to cease-fire negotiations continue.

Clashes between rebel and government forces continue regularly around the
capital, Bujumbura, and sporadically across the country, sometimes
prompting temporary population movements.  Approximately 820,000
Burundians have fled the country, most of whom are located in Tanzania,
with others living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda,
and Zambia. On March 28, 2002, the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) implemented a voluntary repatriation
program for the return of refugees from Tanzania.

NUMBERS AT A GLANCE                             SOURCE

Internally Displaced    Total: 387,469 in       U.N. Office for the
                        226 sites countrywide   Coordination of
                                                Humanitarian Affairs
                                                (UN OCHA)
                                                (July 31, 2002) (1)

Refugees from Burundi   Total: 820,000 in       UN OCHA
                        Tanzania (350,000       (July 31, 2002)
                        in camps)

Refugees in Burundi     Total: 28,062           UN OCHA
                        26,826 from the DRC     (July 31, 2002)
                        1,220 from Rwanda
                        6 from Tanzania
                          and Somalia

Repatriated             Total: 46,810           UNHCR
Refugees (2)                                    (October 31, 2002)


(1) As of November 18.  THese are the latest figures released by UN OCHA
(2) Includes both facilitated and spontanteoous refugees


Total FY 2002 USAID/OFDA Assistance to Burundi   $13,413,053
Total FY 2002 USG Humanitarian Assistance to Burundi   $19,296,475



CURRENT SITUATION

Insecurity Continues to Affect Vulnerable Populations.  In early July, UN
OCHA reported that approximately 20,000 people in Kabezi, Ramba, and
Mutumba Communes of Bujumbura Rural required food and water assistance as
a result of fighting in the region between government troops and Hutu
opposition forces.

UN OCHA expressed concern on July 12 as a result of escalating tensions in
Ruyigi, Makamba, and Rutana Provinces in eastern and southern Burundi.
Approximately 5,000 people were displaced in Ruyigi following FDD attacks,
when an estimated 1,500-armed FDD fighters surrounded Ruyigi town and
occupied Rugango, Kigamba, Rugongo, and Bisinde townships.  Insecurity has
restricted the United Nations from accessing Nyabitsinda and Kinyinda
Communes in Ruyigi Province for the past four months.  In Makamba province
in mid-July, fighting displaced more than 1,600 people, destroyed 320
homes, and prompted the non-governmental organization (NGO)  Medecins sans
Frontiers-France (MSF-F) to temporarily evacuate from the province.  The
Governor of Rutana province reported 1,000 displaced people in Rutana town
and 4,068 in the surrounding hills.

The European Commission sent a formal statement to the GOB on July 29
reporting a threat against the life of the European Union's chargé
d'affairs in Bujumbura.  The GOB offered the chargé d'affairs security
assistance and opened an inquiry into the reported threat.

On July 30 and 31, the FNL intensified shelling on southern parts of the
capital, Bujumbura. Opposition groups who are not party to the
power-sharing government have increased attacks on southern and eastern
Burundi since early July.  Attacks typically increase around the time when
negotiations with the government begin.

International humanitarian sources reported on August 1 that more than
45,000 civilians were forced to flee clashes between Hutu opposition
groups and government forces in Kabezi, 11 miles south of Bujumbura.  For
weeks, insecurity restricted humanitarian assistance to this vulnerable
group that lacked access to water, sanitation, and shelter facilities.

According to a state-owned news agency, more than 32,000 people needed
humanitarian assistance, including food, blankets, household utensils,
medicines, shelter materials, and school supplies, in early September in
central Gitega Province as a result of continuing insecurity.  The largest
concentrations of displaced persons were located in Bugendana, Gitega, and
Giheta Communes.

On September 7, the Burundi leader of a local NGO, World Outreach
Initiatives, which focuses on feeding widows, orphans, and street children
in Bujumbura, was shot and killed next to the President's residence in
Bujumbura. No one has claimed responsibility for the killing and it is
unknown whether he was specifically targeted. The killing illustrates the
continuing insecurity and random violence facing humanitarian workers in
Burundi.

On September 9, at least 173 Burundi civilians were killed by armed
elements during fighting between the FDD and the Burundi army in Itaba
Commune, Gitega Province?the largest number of conflict-related civilian
deaths during one incident in the past two years.  On September 30,
President Buyoya said that members of the army were involved.  The GOB
opened a judicial inquiry into the incident and on October 4 imprisoned
two army officers in connection with the killings.  Clashes between the
FNL opposition and government troops continue in Bujumbura Rural Province,
including fighting on September 21 near Rohe village, when an estimated 16
civilians were killed and nearly 3,000 people fled the area.

Refugee Movements.  On July 21, the Burundi Defense Minister requested
that the international community provide an international observer force
along the Burundi-Tanzania border to monitor Hutu opposition forces
allegedly infiltrating into Burundi from Tanzania.  According to
international media sources, Hutu forces have crossed into eastern Ruyigi
Province and southern Makamba Province during the past few months.

According to UNHCR, in early July an increasing number of Burundi refugees
in Tanzania withdrew from the voluntary repatriation process, possibly due
to the volatile security situation in Burundi.  Approximately 50,000
Burundians have registered with UNHCR for assistance in returning to
Burundi.

Due to increasing insecurity in eastern and southeastern provinces in late
July and early August, the number of voluntary repatriations of Burundi
refugees from Tanzania decreased.  UNHCR has the capacity to repatriate
2,000 refugees per week.  UNHCR has only facilitated returns to the more
stable northern provinces due to continuing insecurity in the other
provinces.

As of October 31, UNHCR had facilitated the return of 27,171 Burundi
refugees, while 19,639 refugees returned spontaneously.  Therefore, the
total number of returnees in 2002 equaled 46,810 on October 31.

According to international humanitarian sources, between June and
September, hundreds of Congolese Banyamulenge refugees of Tutsi origin
located in camps in Ngarara, Bujumbura refused to be relocated by the GOB
to another transit camp in Kanama, Muyinga Province, due to fear of being
located on the borders with Rwanda and Tanzania close to Hutu "negative
forces."  An estimated 40 refugees had relocated at the end of September.
UNHCR provides water to more than 1,000 refugees in Ngarara, but the GOB
plans to dismantle the sites.

As foreign troops continue to pull out of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC), there are concerns that the security situation could
deteriorate, causing a large-scale influx of refugees into Burundi, and
placing additional strain on humanitarian actors and local communities.
In response to heavy fighting between rebel and government forces in the
DRC, UNHCR reported on October 18 that approximately 12,000 Congolese
refugees were registered between October 12 and 17.  The refugees crossed
into Burundi through six main entry points:  Gatumba, Unda, Buganola,
Rubombo, and Cibitoke.

Continuing Negotiations to Establish Peace.  According to international
humanitarian sources, the GOB, both factions of the FDD, and one faction
of the FNL sent delegates to Dar es Salaam on August 8 to hold
"preliminary consultations" to establish a cease- fire. The consultations
were in preparation for peace talks held between August 26 and 29 in Dar
es Salaam, Tanzania, which the FNL did not attend.  The discussions
between the FDD and the GOB failed to reach a cease-fire agreement.
Ceasefire talks between the GOB, the FDD and the FNL resumed on October 28
in Dar es Salaam.  The FNL have attended the talks, but are not
negotiating.

Direct talks between the Palipehutu-FNL and the GOB occurred at the end of
September, but adjourned on September 26 without determining a cease-fire
agreement.

The final summit of the Great Lakes Regional Initiative on Burundi was
held in Arusha, Tanzania on October 7.  The presidents of Burundi,
Tanzania, Uganda, the DRC, and South Africa attended the summit, as well
as the former South African President Nelson Mandela and U.N and African
Union representatives.  Two smaller factions of the FDD and FNL
respectively signed a formal ceasefire agreement, but the main FNL and FDD
parties have not yet entered the agreement. A regional summit will be held
30 days following the October 7 summit to discuss rebel non-compliance
with peace-talk demands.

Health Initiatives.  UNICEF sponsored a measles and Vitamin A vaccination
campaign between June 24 and 28, and a second phase between July 23 and
26.  UNICEF targeted 3.3 million children between nine months and 14 years
against measles, and provided 1.2 million children between six months and
five years with vitamin A.  Although fighting continues in some areas,
UNICEF negotiated with Hutu opposition forces and government forces for
"days of tranquility" that allowed health workers to reach vulnerable
children.

Cholera Outbreak.  Nationwide, the Burundi Ministry of Health (MOH)
reported 591 cases of cholera between June 17 and August 22, and eight
deaths, with the majority of the cases in Bujumbura.  Although the
outbreak continued into September, the number of cases began to decline in
August.  Health organizations responded aggressively to contain the
outbreak and newer cases were generally mild. The USAID/OFDA- funded
cholera treatment center in Bujumbura managed by MSF/Belgium reported 683
cumulative cases of cholera in Bujumbura from June 17 to October 4.
MSF/Belgium closed the center in October due to the decline of the
outbreak.

Meningitis Outbreak.  WHO and the Burundi MOH have been monitoring an
increasing number of meningitis cases since July.  According to WHO, from
the beginning of the outbreak on July 6 to October 31, there have been
1,066 cases and 89 deaths reported nationwide.  The outbreak stabilized in
Ngozi and Kirundo Provinces in late August, but assumed epidemic status in
three communes of Muyinga Province.

The MOH, with WHO assistance, began implementing a three-phase response
plan in late August, which included a strategy to vaccinate all Muyinga
residents over six months of age.  Approximately 440,000 people were
targeted for vaccination, and an additional 200,000 people in Ngozi and
Kirundo may be vaccinated if needed.  International health organizations
have also been closely monitoring an outbreak of meningitis in refugee
camps in Tanzania hosting Burundians.  Refugees and local populations in
the Kibondo region of Tanzania have been vaccinated.

In early September, GOB authorities declared a meningitis epidemic in
Gisuru Commune in eastern Ruyigi Province as a result of six confirmed and
44 suspected cases.  Health authorities and WHO created a plan to
vaccinate all 55,000 residents of the commune, and have been closely
monitoring unconfirmed cases in neighboring Cankuzo Province.  During
September, health authorities also decided to vaccinate the entire
populations of Gitega and Karuzi Provinces as a result of an outbreak in
these provinces.

Food Security Assistance.  At the end of September, WFP began a
distribution program of an estimated 5,800 MT of food assistance for
535,000 vulnerable Burundians.  The food is being distributed with seeds
and farm tools provided by FAO in a 20-day "seeds protection ration."
WFP estimates that approximately 1.4 million people in Burundi,
particularly internally displaced, require WFP food assistance due to a
lack of adequate access to food.  The NGOs CARE and World Vision are
distributing the rations.



USG HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

On October 17, 2002, U.S Ambassador James Yellin redeclared a disaster in
Burundi due to the ongoing complex emergency.

USAID/OFDA's program in Burundi is focused on maintaining a response
capacity in the sectors of nutrition, emergency health, food security,
water and sanitation, and non-food items, while strengthening the capacity
of early warning and crisis management structures to respond rapidly to
and mitigate new crises.  In FY 2002, USAID/OFDA provided more than $13
million in humanitarian assistance.  At the end of August 2002, USAID/OFDA
released an Annual Program Statement (APS) for FY 2003 to strengthen the
capacity of communities in areas of Burundi where displaced populations
and IDPs are expected to return.  The programs will assist local
populations to effectively support the increased number of people.
USAID/OFDA is also closely coordinating with USAID/REDSO in the
development of a new Integrated Strategic Plan for Burundi covering FY 03
to FY 05, which includes emergency humanitarian assistance, transitional,
and development assistance components.

USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI)  supported two
programs in Burundi during FY 2002.  The Legislative Strengthening Program
included member orientation for new National Assembly and Senate members,
public outreach activities, and support for committees to be implemented
through the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican
Institute (NDI/IRI).  The Burundi Initiative for Peace (BIP) implemented
through the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) has
provided a series of small grants to encourage popular support for the
Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Accords.  The small grants program worked
in targeted geographic areas to support activities that maintain the
momentum for peace. USAID/OTI's Country Representative in Bujumbura
continues to monitor the program.  USAID/OTI's assistance in FY 2002
totaled $2.1 million.

USAID's Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP)  supported WFP's Regional
Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO) in the Great Lakes during
FY 2002, which targets 1.12 million vulnerable people in Burundi.
Through its activities, WFP contributes to improving and maintaining the
nutritional status of refugees, IDPs, returnees and other vulnerable
people, and promotes the recovery and rehabilitation of livelihoods at the
household and community level.  During FY 2002, USAID/FFP provided 4,620
MT of P.L. 480 Title II emergency food commodities consisting of corn,
pulses and corn-soy blend to WFP for the Burundi portion of the Great
Lakes program, valued at $2.4 million.

In FY 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provided 140 MT of
416(b) surplus food commodities to Burundi to assist in emergency food
needs.  The $98,574 worth of surplus food commodities includes 140 MT of
corn-soy blend for WFP's PRRO.

The State Department's Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration
(State/PRM) contributed $1,240,000 to UNHCR in FY 2002 to support UNHCR's
refugee programs inside Burundi.




U.S. GOVERNMENT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO BURUNDI IN FY 2002

Agency
Implementing Partner
Sector
Regions
Amount


USAID 	$17,957,901
USAID/OFDA 	$13,413,053

Concern
Food security and nutrition
Bujumbura Rural, Bururi
$463,564

CRS
Non-food items
Countrywide
$1,154,025

Gruppo di Volontariato Civile (GVC)
Food security and nutrition
Bujumbura Rural
$1,007,156

IMC
Health and nutrition
Kirundo, Muyinga, Rutana
$1,649,049

IRC
Health and water and sanitation
Bujumbura Rural, Makamba, Rutana
$1,154,577

MSF/B
Health and nutrition
Karuzi, Bujumbura Rural
$1,132,002

Solidarites
Nutrition
Gitega
$600,000

UNDP
Coordination
Countrywide
$150,000

UNICEF
Health, nutrition, and coordination
Countrywide
$2,310,640

UN OCHA
Coordination
Countrywide
$600,000

WFP
Air support
Countrywide
$675,000

WVI
Food security and agriculture
Karuzi, Muyinga
$2,024,097

Administrative
Administrative, staff, and mission support
Bujumbura
$492,943



USAID/FFP   $2,424,200

WFP
4,620 MT of Title II emergency food commodities to improve the food
  security and protect livelihhoods of vulnerable groups
All
$2,424,200



USAID/OTI	$2,120,648

NDI, IRI, and IFES
Legislative strengthening,
Burundi Initiative For Peace (small grants programming)
All
$2,120,648



USDA	$98,574

WFP
Section 416(b) Surplus Food Commodities - 140 MT to WFP's PRRO
All
$98,574
STATE/PRM   $1,240,000


UNHCR
Assistance to Refugees inside Burundi
All
$1,240,000

Total USG Humanitarian Assistance to Burundi in FY 2002 $19,296,475



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